Bad news is, there wasn’t one back who ran the 40 and was beaten in every category by Royster, which tells you he is a clear middle-of-the-pack prospect athletically, at best.

The good news is, if you look at the style of back Royster is, he actually tested pretty well against his peers.

Take Mark Ingram, for instance.

Royster is taller (5-11 to 5-9), and they’re both about the same weight (215 for Ingram). Pretty much the same arm and hand length, and when we’re talking about three-hundredths of a seconds difference in the 40 (which we are, 4.62 to 4.65), that’s just not a significant gap. Royster had a much-better vertical (34 inches to 31.5 for Ingram), and that’s the extent of where they both tested.

I’m so sick of hearing how Royster really isn’t a game-breaking running back, and that he can’t play in the NFL because he doesn’t have elite speed and elusiveness. Well, if his speed isn’t good enough to play in the NFL, then neither is Mark Ingram’s, and I never saw Ingram juke anyone like he was the second coming of Barry Sanders during his days at Alabama. And the experts are talking about Ingram being an easy first-round pick.

I think Royster can be gone by the fourth round, if not the third. He was a productive back who can move the pile. There’s still a market for that type of player in the NFL.

Want bone-crunching hits and breathtaking plays? You've come to the wrong place. Want in depth analysis and breaking news on Penn State football and, occasionally, the rest of the sports world? That, we can help you with. Scranton Times-Tribune columnist and Penn State beat writer Donnie Collins promises to check in with all the breaking news and commentary on the Nittany Lions regularly. So drop by often, on game day or any day, to stay in the know.